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Rocketman Images Offer New Looks At Taron Egerton As Elton John

Actor Taron Egerton becomes the legendary Elton John in new images from the musical biopic Rocketman. Directed by Dexter Fletcher (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Rocketman also stars Richard Madden, Jamie Bell and Bryce Dallas Howard. The first Rocketman teaser trailer dropped back in October.

Born in 1947, Reginald Kenneth Dwight was a musical prodigy who took up the piano at the age of seven. Later, under the stage name Elton John, he would rocket to fame as a pop music singer-songwriter and flashy stage performer known for his outrageous outfits and flamboyant antics. Working with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, John would go on to sell over 300 million records and score 50 top 10 hits, including the Princess Diana tribute song "Candle in the Wind 1997," which still stands as the biggest-selling single in history.

With musical biopics riding high at the box office thanks to last year's Freddie Mercury portrait Bohemian Rhapsody, John will now receive his own on-screen treatment, with Kingsman star Egerton taking on the lead role. Back in September, fans got their first glimpse of Egerton as John, and now Paramount Pictures has released a few more images teasing Egerton's transformation into the musical legend. See the new images below:

Characterized by star Egerton as a "fantasy musical,"Rocketman promises to tell the "uncensored human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years." John himself first announced the project back in 2012 and named Justin Timberlake as his choice to play him. Various other actors were mentioned in connection with the role over the years, including Tom Hardy and Michael Gracey. In 2017, fresh off his star-making turn in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton finally landed the coveted role. Of course, John and Egerton shared the screen when the singer made a cameo appearance in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

After the massive success of Bohemian Rhapsody, which thus far has grossed $714 million worldwide, Paramount will be banking on Rocketman bringing in huge audiences for another depiction of a legendary musical figure who rose to fame in the 1970s. Similarly, awards observers will have their eye on Egerton to duplicate the feat pulled off by Rami Malek in his award-worthy depiction of Mercury. There's no doubt that John's personality and stage presence are every bit as monumental as Mercury's, and his legend in music arguably looms even larger. There's also more than enough material in John's sometimes turbulent personal and professional life to fulfill the movie's quota of behind-the-scenes drama.